The number and types of electronic devices available to consumers have increased tremendously the past few years, and this increase shows no signs of abating. Devices such as portable computing devices, tablet, desktop, and all-in-one computers, cell, smart, and media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors and other devices have become ubiquitous.
These devices often receive and provide power and data using various cable assemblies. These cable assemblies may include connector inserts, or plugs, on one or more ends of a cable. The connector inserts may plug into connector receptacles on electronic devices, thereby forming one or more conductive paths for signals and power.
These cables typically have one or more conductors that convey power and signals between devices. These conductors may connect to printed circuit boards or other structures in the connector inserts. The printed circuit boards may support components for amplifying or retiming data, for providing signal terminations, or for other purposes. Various conductors and these components may electrically connect to contacts in the inserts. When an insert is inserted in a receptacle on an electronic device, contacts in the insert electrically connect to contacts in the receptacle, which in turn may connect to circuits or components in the electrical device.
The devices that these cables connect to have become smaller over time as customer preferences for sleeker devices have been met. This, in turn, has necessitated the development of ever-smaller connector receptacles, and correspondingly smaller connector inserts. But it is more complicated to assemble these smaller connector inserts. The conductors need to be trimmed or otherwise prepared so that they can be soldered to the printed circuit board or other structure. Once prepared, the conductors need to be soldered. This can be very difficult to accomplish given these smaller form factors.
Thus, what is needed are structures and methods that simplify the assembly of connector inserts.